Taking her first steps in years, Amal, a young girl from al-Bab in northern Syria, steadies herself as she walks slowly and carefully as she holds onto a metal frame. Amal, who has suffered from a debilitating illness that has partially paralysed her for years, is one of the children at the specialist centre called “Our Home”, which provides treatment for young children. Thanks to the centre, Amal now walks with hope for a new life.

The same goes for Nour, who started treatment at the centre a year ago. Thanks to the specialists at “Our Home” and the determination of her family to find treatment, Nour has begun to see improvements after a tumour was removed from her brain and had left her hand and leg paralysed.

“When she started treatment at the Our Home Centre, her condition improved,” said her mother. “Now, she is able to sit, move her thigh, and her activity has increased. There is an improvement.”

Other children with Down Syndrown, speech impediments and autism are given support at “Our Home”. The centre prides itself on providing care and rehabilitation for children with special needs, employing more than 10 specialists who work with the children. The centre also has a physical therapist for those with motor or muscular issues.

“We have very difficult cases and their improvement is slow,” said Manal Abdul Latif. “Despite this, there is a response from students. Parents also have witnessed good results.”

90 children are currently looked after and given support at the centre, which is also sponsored by the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), given that it is located in territory held by Turkish-backed rebels.

Many of those already looked after have witnessed significant improvements, and for some, this has meant walking once again or even returning to school.

“There are major achievements and some students began to attend schools, 5 students suffering from autism have returned to school, and 4 suffering from speech delays have also returned to school,” said Mohammed Khalaf, the director of the centre. “A large proportion of the children who have been injured can walk, to some extent, after physical therapy.”

It is hoped that with continued and greater support, the centre can accommodate more children from northern Syria in the same way.